A horse-drawn carriage carrying the coffin of slain David Stevenson led a procession of 11 limousines and six scaffolding trucks to his funeral on Thursday, September 3.

Family and friends of scaffolder Mr Stevenson, who was was stabbed to death outside the New Inn in Myrtle Road, Sutton, last month, wore pink ties and accessories to remember the father-of-two.

Flowers and tributes reading: “Daddy, Son, Dave, Waffy” – in reference to his nickname – and one tribute in the shape of a pink T-shirt – his favourite colour – adorned the cavalcade from his Wallington home to the North East Surrey Crematorium.

Music at the service included Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, R Kelly’s The World’s Greatest and Only Fools and Horses’ Coming Out song.

Readings included Canon Henry Scott-Holland’s poem Death is Nothing at All and another unknown poem which begins: “We thought of you with love today, but that’s nothing new”.

Mr Stevenson’s father Roger, 54, a retired firefighter, said about 300 people attended the ceremony of his son who, with his twin brother Ricky James Stevenson, would have turned 29 on Wednesday.

He said: “It’s unbelievable the support we have had – you can’t put a price on that.

“We were practically mobbed at the reception afterwards at Carshalton Athletic Football Club.

“We miss him terribly. It’s hard imagining life without him.”

Mr Stevenson’s partner Hayley Beach, a school office administrator at Camden Primary School, said he was a “very good dad” to his children Grace, two, and Luke, eight.

She said: “He would take them to football every week and down to the beach. I have told Luke his father has gone to heaven.”

Police said Mr Stevenson was enjoying a drink after watching Chelsea play Manchester United in the Community Shield when he was attached.

He was taken to St Helier Hospital where he later died.

A postmortem examination at St Helier Hospital mortuary gave the cause of death as a stab wound.

The killing is being investigated by the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, led by DCI Tim Grattan-Kane.

Unemployed Lee Cooper, 25, of Typhoon Way, Roundshaw, Wallington and his dad Anthony Cooper, 56, also unemployed and of the same address appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court last month charged with murder.

They were remanded in custody, to appear at the Old Bailey for a plea and directions hearing on November 19.

A third man, aged 20, has been bailed to return to a south London police station at a later date, Scotland Yard said.